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00:00And game one of the Buster 7 is underway as the Bulls control the tip.
00:06The matchup opens with Barkley against Pippen and Hawkins going against Jordan.
00:12Ricky Green guarding John Paxson and Mahorn against Cockright who goes right out of it.
00:18Try to get him off early.
00:20Gilliam tipped it home!
00:21Well, Grant gets credit for it, and it's a 2-0 Chicago league.
00:33One of the points of emphasis is the fact that Gilliam needs to get on the glass more.
00:37He went after it.
00:38Unfortunately, it worked out the wrong way as the jumper is knocked down by Hersey Hawkins to start it off for the 76ers.
00:44There was a point earlier in his career that Hersey Hawkins was said to be intimidated by Michael Jordan,
00:49but he's played well against him over the past year.
00:52Nice pass for Grant!
00:54And the Bulls lead at 4-2.
00:56When Chicago's offense is operating as they intended to,
00:59you'll see a lot of movement without the basketball and occasional backdoor layup.
01:04Mahorn isolated against Cockright.
01:08Rick Mahorn has been on fire.
01:13Coming in, shooting 78% against the Milwaukee Bucks.
01:17And that was a new playoff record.
01:21Cockright feeling for Mahorn going right at him.
01:24Yes.
01:25The Bulls 6 and the 76ers 2.
01:29And Chicago really stays with its game plan early.
01:32They said yesterday that one of the areas they felt was Cockright scoring over the top of Mahorn.
01:36As they come down early in the game, we see him go right at him.
01:40Crowd reacts to the foul.
01:42Well, a pushout on Scottie Pippen.
01:49Pippen changing sides on Barkley, trying to give him different looks down in the post,
01:52comes around on the baseline trying to get a piece.
01:56Ricky Green checking it over.
01:58Now Pippen right on Barkley.
02:02And Hawkins from deep.
02:04Got it!
02:04Backs up checking the floor.
02:13Jordan using the pick, but on a switch.
02:17Now backing Hawkins.
02:19Yes.
02:20The Bulls 8.
02:22And the 76ers 2.
02:23In an injury hit regular season, the Sixers went 44 and 38.
02:34They finished second to the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division.
02:40Getting to this point, a major accomplishment for Jim Lightham.
02:45Cartwright on the rebound.
02:47The Bulls at 61 and 21 during a regular campaign.
02:52Best record in the history of the franchise.
02:55The double up on Jordan.
02:56Who got it to Grant.
02:57Got the step.
03:01Bulls able to get back.
03:04Now Jordan guarding Barkley.
03:06Grant over to help.
03:09Hawkins had the lane closed by Pippen.
03:13Good defensive sequence by the Bulls.
03:15Well, the Bulls are so athletic, they can switch at times on the floor and still not wind up with a real bad matchup.
03:21Jordan with the recheck.
03:23And an official timeout.
03:26They want to reset the 24.
03:29The 24-second clock showing 24, but it has been changed to a 22.
03:35Because the ball hits the rim, there should be a reset.
03:38They had the clock at 2 seconds.
03:39Now it's back to 22.
03:4022.
03:453-10 gone by in this first quarter.
03:49Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
03:51Game 2 Monday night here in Chicago.
03:55Gilliam posting on Grant.
03:58Armand Gilliam coming off a good series against the Bucs.
04:02Sixers struggling here in the early moments.
04:04It will be Chicago ball.
04:05There was a period of time during the season without Charles Barkley where Armand Gilliam stepped up his game.
04:11Basically took over the offensive load for this team.
04:14And it was a good sign for the 76ers.
04:16But down the road, could they exist together?
04:18Charles told us yesterday.
04:19No problem at all.
04:20I was happy to see him play that well.
04:23Jordan lost it.
04:24And here's Green on the run going one on three and hitting.
04:29Spectacular move by the 36-year-old Ricky Green.
04:32Pippen getting down in a hurry and he answers.
04:36Well, I don't think there's any question here.
04:38Neither team is afraid to come right back at the other one and put points up on the board.
04:43It's the Bulls' 10.
04:44The 76ers' 4.
04:46Gilliam.
04:47And the Bulls' on the run.
04:52Pippen for Paxton.
04:54Wide open.
04:56And a loose ball foul being called.
04:59It's on the 76ers.
05:02One thing that Philadelphia tries to do is get the ball back down the floor after makes or misses.
05:08Ricky Green, one of the best at pushing it back at you, making your transition defense have to work.
05:13And talking about transition, Charles Barkley really struggled that last time.
05:16He was the last person down the floor of both teams.
05:20Cartwright, yes.
05:22And a Philadelphia foul was called on the horn.
05:26And the Bulls wasting no time on the inbounds.
05:29Cartwright with a second bucket.
05:31Bulls with a 12-4 advantage.
05:40Green.
05:42Barkley had it slapped away.
05:44And Pippen putting the moves on.
05:47A stop by the combination of Mahorn and Hawkins.
05:49Pippen again on a deceptive dribble.
05:53It's a three-on-two.
05:55Barkley with the spin.
05:59Hawkins.
06:00And he'll go to the line.
06:01In fairness to the 76ers, they just can't get some of the short shots to drop for him right now.
06:07But it's interesting that even though he hasn't been able to knock them down, Jim Leinem keeps going at Armand Gilliam.
06:12That must have been the strategy before the game to get him off early.
06:15He's staying with it.
06:16We haven't seen Barkley involved a whole lot other than transition stuff that's turned up.
06:20He's still slowed by that brace that encases the knee and he is playing with strength.
06:38The spindles told us last night, have to be controlled.
06:52For the first time he tried one of his favorite moves.
06:55He said there was so much pain, he decided at that point, he would have shelled that one for a while.
06:59It's all going a lot better.
07:02Chicago 12 and Philadelphia 6.
07:06Cartwright.
07:06Yes.
07:09Fast start for Bill Cartwright.
07:11And the Bulls lead by 8.
07:13Gilliam wound up on Cartwright.
07:15Chicago takes advantage, goes right back inside.
07:18Bill's just too big for Gilliam to play.
07:20Cartwright had a solid series against Patrick Ewing.
07:23And the New York Knicks.
07:25Pippen guns it down.
07:26Jordan putting the move on Hawkins.
07:29Yes!
07:29And it counts!
07:34Timeout.
07:35Chicago.
07:36So the Bulls take a timeout.
07:45Michael Jordan going one-on-one against Percy Hawkins.
07:54A moment ago, Michael Jordan went right at Percy Hawkins, who will have his hands full throughout the afternoon.
08:01We talked with Percy about his matchup with Michael Jordan.
08:08He jumps out to try to keep him out of the lane, push him left every time, and, you know, just hope for help.
08:15I think Chicago plays their best when Michael is in the lane, when he's dunking, when he's getting other people involved.
08:21So if we can make him shoot a lot of jump shots and make the game boring to him, then, you know, maybe he's not as interested in going through the lane and all that.
08:28Well, to this point, the boredom has not set in for Michael Jordan.
08:34To me, the most impressive thing is the attitude that the Chicago Bulls came out on the floor with.
08:39Everyone, very solemn in their approach to this.
08:42You could see the game plan, what they wanted to do.
08:44Everyone is doing their part so far.
08:46They jumped out to the big early lead.
08:47And the Sixers, who shot so well on the sweep of Milwaukee, only two for 11 from the field.
08:54Off the press, caught right, picks it off.
08:59Jordan for Pippen.
09:06The Bulls have ripped off a 19-6 lead.
09:10And as they do in almost every game, the Bulls, after a free throw, will give you some type of pressure, some type of press.
09:18How you react is the key thing is, Barkley, make sure that one's going down.
09:22Just under six minutes remaining.
09:25And the first quarter, a blazing start by the Chicago Bulls.
09:30They now lead it 19-8.
09:34Grant played by Gillian.
09:37It's Pippen for Cartwright.
09:40Bill Cartwright on fire.
09:44He's hit four out of five.
09:46The Bulls, 21, and the 76ers, 8.
09:49We've gotten a chance to see Chicago down the stretch a couple times.
09:53And to me, Bill Cartwright is playing the best ball this season down the stretch.
10:00The poor Philadelphia shooting continues.
10:04He rocks.
10:05The Bulls continue the onslaught.
10:08Make it 23-8, Chicago.
10:17Barkley getting inside.
10:19And it's now 23-10.
10:21The Philly going back to probably its most used play during the regular season.
10:25The isolation for Charles Barkley on the left side of the floor.
10:29We'll see that a number of times this afternoon.
10:30Pippen with a good fake.
10:35And the bucket.
10:38Scottie Pippen has hit four out of five.
10:40He has eight.
10:41And the Bulls have a 25-10 lead.
10:45Sixers now 4-14 from the field.
10:48Illegal defense called on Chicago.
10:51A moment ago, we saw the best play for Philadelphia, which is the isolation of Charles Barkley.
10:57They simply spread the rest of the players out on the floor.
10:59And they want to see who's going to come and double-team Charles when he puts it on the floor.
11:03Paxson starts to come, but Charles spins away and goes baseline to make the score.
11:08The difference that time is the isolation was Charles down low on the low-right block.
11:23Last time, left sideline, they approached the isolations differently during the course of the game,
11:28just like Chicago does with Michael Jordan.
11:31Manute Bull played well against the Bucs.
11:34Bucs changed game two with five blocks to turn it in the 76ers' favor.
11:41Hawkins had nowhere to go.
11:45Anderson stopped.
11:46That was deflected by Pippen.
11:49Keep in mind, Percy Hawkins is going up against the guy that has been named the best defensive player in the NBA a couple seasons ago.
11:57It is not easy to get a shot off against Michael Jordan.
11:59When he is zeroed in, he's one of the best at the guard spot.
12:03Pippen again.
12:05Scottie Pippen has hit five out of six.
12:09The Bulls have come out and connected on 13 of 17.
12:14And the Sixers want to poke it over.
12:17Time out taken.
12:18Miller Genuine Draft presents number one draft choices.
12:39And today's Miller number one draft pick, Bill Cartwright of the Bulls, before being drafted third overall back in 1979 by the New York Knicks.
12:48Led the University of San Francisco down to three conference titles.
12:52Knicks traded him to the Bulls for Charles Oakley.
12:54And despite missing almost two full years due to injuries, he has scored over 11,000 NBA points.
13:01And off to the superb start here this afternoon.
13:03Look at the Bulls shooting 13 for 17 while the Sixers four out of 15 coming off the sensational shooting series in the sweep of Milwaukee.
13:13Led by Mahorn and Andre Turner and Ricky Green.
13:17They swept the Bucs in total domination by surprising Milwaukee.
13:23Talk about concentration.
13:25Left hand down for the low pass.
13:26Right hand up to challenge the shot of the overhead pass.
13:29Percy tries to shake him with a little fake back to his left shoulder.
13:32Jordan's right there waiting, waiting, challenge.
13:34Uh-uh.
13:35I'm not going to shoot this one.
13:36Give it to somebody else.
13:37Maybe the best defensive guard in the NBA, Michael Jordan.
13:41And Percy Hawkins had a good game against Jordan here three weeks ago.
13:46That overtime victory.
13:47Michael did return the favor with 41 points.
13:50Off the double team, Barkley was fouled.
13:53And he'll go to the line.
13:55A reminder at the end of today's broadcast, we'll be selecting the Miller genuine draft player of the game.
14:00Bill Cartwright called for that foul.
14:02His first.
14:03And Charles Barkley to the line for the first time.
14:06The factor for the 76ers will be the number of times they get to the free throw line against this Chicago Bull team.
14:16Loaded throughout the season for playing excellent team defense but not fouling a lot.
14:22They were the number one team in the NBA.
14:24Fewest players disqualified during the season, the Chicago Bulls.
14:27So you must take it at them.
14:29You must go strong to the basket to earn your free throw attempts.
14:34Three and a half to go.
14:36And this first quarter, the Bulls 27, 76ers, 12, late pressure by the Sixers.
14:44Jimmy Lynde, I'm trying to change the tempo of this game.
14:46Obviously not happy with the way it started out.
14:48Maybe give it a little different look to Chicago.
14:51And that different look represented by a new goal up.